Empluna Playtest · published
When we started Empluna, one question came up very early on:
Why should a city-building game be limited to a single world or era?
The answer was clear: it shouldn’t.
Empluna is designed from the ground up to be playable across a wide range of settings and eras. Each era comes with its own rules, challenges, and opportunities and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting. Empluna begins with the Modern Era, the present-day world of the 21st century.
Here’s a brief look into the background story:
An expedition encounters something unknown. A land that should not exist. Since the 19th century, the world was considered nearly fully mapped, and yet suddenly an island appears, hidden in the fog, untouched and seemingly forgotten.
What is discovered there quickly exceeds all expectations:
Dense forests, astonishing biodiversity, and nature that appears to have been left entirely to itself for centuries.
But with the discovery inevitably comes the next question:
What happens to this place now?
And this is precisely where the mood shifts.
What began as hope threatens to be shattered once again. Because as soon as the extent of the discovery becomes clear, old patterns return. Discussions become more heated, interests clash, mistrust grows.
Overburdened cities, crumbling infrastructure, social tensions. None of this is a distant vision of the future, but rather the result of earlier decisions. Another hesitation, another clinging to the familiar, and the newly discovered world would be just the next arena for old conflicts.
Instead of division, exploitation, and competition, a new idea emerges:
A joint research and development project.
A place where knowledge, planning, and responsibility come together. A city that grows not out of necessity, but out of a conscious decision. A new beginning! Not perfect, not risk-free, but driven by the will to do better than before.
After endless debates, the decision is finally made. Approval.
The world agrees on a goal.
Because a vision alone is not enough.
Now we need someone to implement it. Someone who makes decisions when things get uncomfortable. Someone who takes responsibility when there are no easy answers.
You are not just an observer of this project, you are part of it. Together with experienced planners and new allies, you will turn an idea into a functioning society.
How will you develop this place?
What priorities will you set?
And which mistakes from the past will you avoid, or repeat?
If this idea piques your curiosity and you feel like accompanying Empluna on its journey, We would be delighted if you kept an eye on the project.
A wishlist on Steam helps the project enormously and motivates us to continue on this path.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know Empluna. 🌍